Argo movie- Hollywood rewrites history. (Read 855 times)

Canadian Ambassador Ken Taylor and Immigration Officer John Sheardown sheltered the six Americans in their own homes, risking arrest to do so.

The Canadian Government provided passports and helped plan the escape.

But the movie shows the CIA as the heroes, and has a postscript saying the Americans "allowed" Taylor to take the credit.

I can understand the studios wanting to appeal to an American audience, but is the real story not exciting enough to do that- does Ben Affleck have to lie?

The Longest Day and Saving Private Ryan showed the same sort of bias, from watching these movies you would not realize how late the US entered the Second World War, or that the majority of the troops landing in Normandy under Montgomery were British, Canadian, Australian and Free French.

If you want to glorify the US why not make movies about the Gulf War, in which Americans really did the vast majority of the fighting?

Ummm, I think the good old USA (and probably the USSR at Stalingrad) had a lot more to do with winning WWII than Canada, no disrespect intended. Plus, I believe (off the top of my head based on what I have read over the years but not recently confirmed) a significant majority of the equipment, ships, ammo, food, etc. used in Normandy was made in the US. To say nothing of the 4 US (+) divisions that landed on the beach or jumped in.

Ummm, I think the good old USA (and probably the USSR at Stalingrad) had a lot more to do with winning WWII than Canada, no disrespect intended. Plus, I believe (off the top of my head based on what I have read over the years but not recently confirmed) a significant majority of the equipment, ships, ammo, food, etc. used in Normandy was made in the US. To say nothing of the 4 US (+) divisions that landed on the beach or jumped in.

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But, as SimonR points out, the USA was very late in joining the fight against the greatest evil of that century. After the war, the Europeans did not move in swarms to the USA. They chose to live with their Australian and Canadian friends.

My dad was very young in the Netherlands in the late '30s and early '40s, and after the war, the family embraced their Canadian friends and allies. Yes, the USA was there, and yes, they played a huge role in finishing the job, but some that lived through those days remember those who fought early in the war.

I don't know the movie you're talking about, Simon, but I'm sure to check it out.

The Longest Day and Saving Private Ryan showed the same sort of bias, from watching these movies you would not realize how late the US entered the Second World War, or that the majority of the troops landing in Normandy under Montgomery were British, Canadian, Australian and Free French.

point of clarification there... those movies show Omaha Beach because it was the worst of the fighting. And because they were Americans to be sure. But that beach had the highest losses. And I believe the troops in action at Omaha beach were close to 100% Americans. So they are at least historically accurate in that regard.

But yeah... I think most Americans realize that British had far greater sacrifices per capita, though we probably underestimate Canadians in this regard.

If you wish to learn more about world war 2 I suggest watching Ben Affleck's historically accurate Pearl Harbor movie.

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But, as SimonR points out, the USA was very late in joining the fight against the greatest evil of that century.

News flash: Hollywood produces movies to pander to the audience and make money. They aren't documentaries.

As far as the entry of the USA into the war is concerned, to be fair, the USA had not been attacked, and Europe didn't "join" the fight until they were forced to by the fact that they had been invaded (except for the UK). We were, however, the "Arsenal of Democracy" in those years.

And regarding the importance of the US role in the war, there's this:

"To have the United States at our side was to me the greatest joy. Now at this very moment I knew the United States was in the war, up to the neck and in to the death. So we had won after all!...Hitler's fate was sealed. Mussolini's fate was sealed. As for the Japanese, they would be ground to powder."- Prime Minister Winston Churchill (after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor)

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As far as the entry of the USA into the war is concerned, to be fair, the USA had not been attacked, and Europe didn't "join" the fight until they were forced to by the fact that they had been invaded (except for the UK).

A couple of points....

1. France declared war on the Nazi's 2 days after they attacked Poland.

2. Canada is in North America and was not attacked (it's just north of the USA) Canada declared war 9 days after the Nazi's attacked Poland.

3. The USA had a boat near Iceland that attacked a German U Boat 18 months after the war (and 8 months prior to joining the war).

USA in WWII: US warships were involved in fighting prior to December 7, 1941. The USS Niblack attacked a German U Boat on April 10, 1941. The USS Niblack was involved in the US occupation of Iceland. And US warships provided escort to convoys to England prior to the declaration, under the Lend-Lease Act. December 8, 1941 was the date of the US declaration of war, but in fact the US was at war on December 7, 1941 at about 7:55 AM when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Canada in WWI: The Second World War[1] officially began on September 1, 1939, with the German invasion of Poland. Britain and France declared war on the Nazi Third Reich on September 3, 1939. Seven days later, on September 10, 1939, the Parliament of Canada likewise declared war on Germany, the country's first independent declaration of war[2] and the beginning of Canada's participation in the largest combined national effort in its history. By war's end, over 1 million citizens would serve in military uniform, and Canada would possess the fourth-largest air force and third-largest naval surface fleet in the world.